Dwayne Betts

About the Author

Dwayne Betts is an acclaimed author, poet, and advocate whose work powerfully explores themes of incarceration, resilience, and personal transformation. Incarcerated as a teenager, Betts turned to literature as a lifeline, ultimately earning a degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a Yale Law School education. His debut memoir, A Question of Freedom: A Memoir of Learning, Survival, and Coming of Age in Prison, chronicles his journey through the American prison system, blending raw introspection with unflinching honesty to illuminate the human cost of mass incarceration. Beyond writing, Betts founded the Marion B. Ingersoll Essay Contest and co-founded Freedom Reads, delivering books and literacy programs to prisons nationwide. A MacArthur Fellow and Yale Law professor, he continues to champion criminal justice reform through his multifaceted career.